You're Everything to Me
by blxckfriars
Summary: After a heated argument over Connor interfering with one of Ava's patients, the pair discover just how valuable they are to each other.


"How _dare_ you undermine me in front of a patient?! How _dare_ you?!" Ava's voice roared as soon as the door to the break room closed.

"I wasn't undermining you, Ava, I just suggested there might be a different route for treatment!" Connor objected, choosing his words wisely. "Keyhole surgery would be much less invasive, _and_ cut the recovery time by more than half," he continued.

A red flush of anger climbed up her neck and towards her face_. If this was in a cartoon, there would be steam billowing from her ears_, Connor thought to himself, having to fight the slight smile that threatened to appear at the thought, if Ava saw Connor smile while she was yelling at him, her anger would only intensify more, and neither of them needed that right now.

Dr Bekker scoffed, turning away from him, "And decrease the probability of us being able to remove the entire clot!" She barked, "the likelihood of us having to open him up anyway if something were to go wrong is too high. The single surgery is already risky, I'm not gambling with his life by keeping him under any longer than absolutely necessary. And if you've already forgotten, I'm lead surgeon, not you, Connor, which means I get to decide what's best for _my_ patient!" she continued, blood still climbing, masking her face red as she turned back to face him.

Now it was Connor's turn to get angry, "I am aware that you are the lead on this, _Dr. Bekker_, I just thought that _your_ patient should know _all_ the options that were available, not just the ones you like best or will look good on your resume!" He spat, stepping towards her.

He knew he had gone too far, but it was too late now. He'd already said it.

Ava took a step closer to him, her face ice and her eyes fire, "How dare you…" she hissed, her voice quiet but full of fury. "Just because you weren't chosen to lead, doesn't mean you get to treat me like shit. I know you've got an ego the size of Texas that's more fragile than glass but _come on Connor_, get over yourself."

"I've got an ego?" he sneered back at her, eyebrows raising as he took a step closer to her. "Ha! Don't make me laugh!"

"Seriously? You're acting like a child! How would you feel if I told one of your patients that there was a surgery, that heightens the risk of complications, by the way, that you weren't telling them about because you didn't think it was a viable option for them, but I just came in and told them, 'Dr Rhodes is actually not giving you all the options, there's this other one that seems far more appealing with less recovery time even though you probably won't wake up again but at least your chest doesn't need to be cracked open!' That's what you did, Connor. Whether you meant to or not."

He let out a breathy laugh before responding, "Jesus Christ, who pissed in your cheerio's this morning? We argue constantly, why are you getting so hurt by _this_? It's not like you haven't made snarky comments about me around my patients!" he knew he had crossed a line before he had even opened his mouth, but there was no stopping the words that had already started to form.

Ava's eyes dropped to the stark-white linoleum beneath their feet, a shuddery breath of air filling her lungs. She could feel tears threatening to pool in her eyes as she turned away from Connor, taking a few steps as she did so to put some space between them. "I know… I know," she said, her voice barely louder than a whisper, "it's just that, ever since the missing tool incident," she cleared her throat, willing her voice not to crack, "I've just been second guessing myself and my abilities as a surgeon," she told him, turning back towards him but still not meeting his eyes with hers.

Connor opened his mouth to try to form a reply, but Ava continued, cutting off his thoughts, "and I know, I know, it was a mistake and we all make them, and the patient recovered, but that's not the point. I _could_ have killed him, the mistake _I_ made could have been the one to end his life."

The emotion in Ava's voice, the genuine hurt she was experiencing threw Connor off the war path he was well on his way to walking. God knows they had argued over patients and treatments before, but he had no idea this one was so different. He knew how much the mistake had affected her, shit, he had found her crying in the break room, but he didn't know that she still felt that way, that she was still dealing with the mental repercussions of a mistake of that calibre.

"Hey, hey…" he said, his voice softening as he took a step towards her

Connor swallowed the spear-headed reply he had ready and took a deep breath, not moving his eyes from Ava's. "You're right, I shouldn't have said that in front of your patient, it was wrong of me." He consoled, carefully treading the metaphorical waters surrounding the pair of them.

When he saw her features soften at his apology, he continued, "you're an incredible surgeon, Ava, one of the best I've ever met," he took another step forward, until she was only an arm's length away. "God, you could very well be one of the best in the country, and you're right, he's your patient, and I trust whatever decision you make will be the right one."

Ava sniffled, trying to mask the tears that had slipped passed the carefully structured wall she had put up, "but what if it's not? Connor, what if I make the wrong decision and it kills him?" her voice was soft, scared even, as she fought to get the words out.

Connor tried his hardest to mask the bolt of shock that ran through him at her sudden change of pace, "Don't do that, Ava, don't let yourself doubt your choices," he whispered, taking another step forward, tightening the gap between them and cupping her cheek with his hand. "I trust you, and you should to. I was just doing that stupid competitiveness 'charade' that we have, and I shouldn't of. Not in front of a patient, at least." He finished, his voice still no more than a whisper as he wiped a tear of her cheek with his thumb.

Ava didn't answer, instead, she raised her hand and gripped onto Connors wrist, holding it harder to her cheek, her eyes fixed on the floor.

Connor felt her start to cry before he saw her, the feeling her of her body fighting to take in enough oxygen.

"Hey, look at me," Connor instructed, lifting his other hand up to cup her other cheek and guiding her eyes to look at him "you're remarkable, Avie," he whispered, bringing his lips to her forehead and holding them there, "I've never felt this was about anyone before; I just think of you and I start smiling, I can't control it, and when I'm around you, my heart feels lighter than it ever has. You've made me into a better man, a better surgeon, a better friend. You're the kindest, most incredible person I've ever met," He continued, resting his forehead against hers as he spoke, taking a beat before speaking again, "I owe everything to you, Ava."


End file.
